I first learned about Pemmican when I began ordering my high-quality meats from US Wellness Meats I noticed it under their “Paleo” section and it sounded interesting. When a food sounds interesting I’m pretty much destined to not only try it, but usually to become very fond of it. I ordered a few of these Pemmican bars thinking they would make great portable snacks. I fell in love with them! The high-protein, high-fat content made them incredibly satiating and energy-sustaining. And they were not expensive! They quickly became a staple add-on to any order I placed. I never really gave much thought to the originations of Pemmican or why I had never heard of it before.
Fast forward a few years, I’m at Paleo f(x) in Austin, TX, and I meet John and Geri Newell of Primal Woods. I was zooming around on my knee scooter and for whatever reason, they struck up a conversation with me. Quite quickly, I discovered that we had a few interesting things in common (John and I are both US Navy veterans) and I took a liking to them. And apparently, them to me. Unbeknownst to me at the time, this was the beginning of a very influential and joy-filled friendship.
Back to the present summer of 2018. I’m traveling along in my new RV, Traveler, and sharing my journey and adventures with followers and friends on social media. John sees that I’m up in NY getting ready to make my way back to CA. He figures I will likely be passing very near his homestead in southern Michigan. John & Geri graciously extended an invitation to host me and I accepted. To say that this week was transformative in my life might be an understatement (time will show the true effects).
Even though I had only met them once, we maintained a connection through social media and our blogs, it felt to me like we had been friends our entire lives. I quickly learned what they were up to on the homestead and their plans for the future. I excitedly cleared a lot of my schedule for the week to help participate in the projects that would be taking place during my stay. Everything from experimenting with making lye for soap-making to building a chicken coop! If you are at all interested in homesteading, I highly recommend you check out the Primal Woods blog. They share a lot of interesting musings on homestead life in a very straightforward, no-nonsense style.
John, who had been recently experimenting and researching the “Carnivore Diet,” suggested we make pemmican while I was visiting. Oh heck yeah! I had never thought about making it myself since I don’t own a dehydrator, but I knew it was a fairly simple process. John started the meat dehydrating process right before I arrived and together, we made Pemmican! Through John’s research into the “Carnivore Diet” he had learned quite a bit about the history of Pemmican and shared this with me. It is truly the ultimate ancestral travel food! No wonder I fell in love with it!
We quickly decided that we wanted to share our exploration into Pemmican-making with our respective audiences. So we took diligent notes, made calculations, and here we are attempting to pass on these nuggets of wisdom and nourishment to you.
If you want to learn more about homesteading, check out the Primal Woods blog. To learn more about John & Geri and their health journey through Hashimoto’s and the Autoimmune Protocol Paleo Diet, check out their About Us page and the related blog posts linked. I am in total awe of John’s journey healing his Hashimoto’s with the Autoimmune Protocol diet (AIP). They both possess a beautiful ageless mindset and it is truly inspiring. Lastly, if you want to try Michigan’s best pure maple syrup, check out the Primal Woods shop!
Now, on to the Pemmican!
A Brief History of Pemmican
...In John's Words
History of North American Buffalo
Horses and their domestication, were introduced to the “new world” by Cortez; the horse arrived in Mexico in 1519 and was in the hands of the Pueblo Indians by 1700. Before the horse, hunting of buffalo had been seasonal, in summer, when the buffalo massed at the major rivers. After the horse, tribes became fully nomadic, leaving behind their horticultural ways, able to carry everything they owned with them, following the buffalo year-round. Of course the horse also enabled movement for other purposes, like making war with the neighbors.
History of Pemmican
- the tallow protects the lean meat from moisture and resulting decomposition, “shelf life” is said to be north of 20 years, without refrigeration
- nutritional value of the lean meat is better preserved by drying, than by cooking or the use of salt curing
- once made, no cooking, and hence no fire or cooking utensils, are required
- few, as in two, ingredients; simple to make without specialized equipment
- very high in calories per unit of weight; over 3,000 kcal in 16 oz. of the 40:60 mix
- nutritionally complete
Notes on Making Pemmican
Pemmican is an excellent nutrient-dense and energy-dense food. As you can see from its history, it is meant to be kept for long periods of time, at room temperature. This makes it one of the best possible sources of nutrition for traveling. It is also quite easy to prepare yourself making it very affordable too.
John and I chose to use ground venison for the “lean” in our Pemmican because we decided it would be more similar to the traditional buffalo meat. It was also venison that John had hunted himself, so it aligned more with the traditional lifestyle of living off the land. However, you can certainly use ground beef for the “lean” if you don’t have access to venison.
We made two different versions of the Pemmican as an experiment to see which we would like more. The first version was a 50% lean to 50% fat ratio. For the second version, we tried a higher fat ratio and added dried blueberries, similar to what was traditionally done for a “holiday” Pemmican. The second version resulted in a 40% lean to 56% fat ratio with 4% blueberries (by weight).
If you enjoy this recipe, please check out some of my other real food recipes!
Pemmican Recipe
(AIP, Paleo, GAPS, SCD, Whole30, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free)
Prep time: 24 hours (dehydrating time) + 30 minutes (hands-on)
Ingredients
50% lean : 50% fat
40% lean : 56% fat : 4% blueberries
Makes approx: 32 oz or 2.0 lbs of pemmican = 6,137 kcal
Makes approx: 49 oz or 3.0 lbs of pemmican = 9,821 kcal
- 48 oz ground venison, raw (16 oz dried)
- 16 oz beef tallow, melted
- 64 oz ground venison, raw (19.5 oz dried)
- 27.25 oz beef tallow, melted
- 2 oz dried blueberries
Process
50% lean : 50% fat
40% lean : 56% fat : 4% blueberries
Using a dehydrator, John dried the ground venison for approximately 24 hours.
We measured the dry weight of the venison to calculate how much tallow to use by weight for a 50% lean, 50% fat ratio.
While the tallow melted in a saucepan on the stove, we used a food processor to grind the dried venison to a near-powder.
We added the dried venison to a large metal mixing bowl.
We slowly mixed in the melted tallow, making sure to evenly coat all of the dry components.
We continued to stir for another 15 minutes while the mixture cooled to keep the fat from separating.
Then we spooned the mixture into 2 pint-sized mason jars and sealed them.
Using a dehydrator, John dried the ground venison for approximately 24 hours.
We measured the dry weight of the venison to calculate how much tallow to use by weight for a 40% lean, 56% fat ratio.
While the tallow melted in a saucepan on the stove, we used a food processor to finely grind the dried venison to a powder.
We added the dried venison to a large metal mixing bowl with the dried blueberries.
We slowly mixed in the melted tallow, making sure to evenly coat all of the dry components.
We continued to stir for another 15 minutes while the mixture cooled to keep the fat from separating.
Then we spooned the mixture into 3 pint-sized mason jars and sealed them.
Nutrition Information:
50% lean : 50% fat
40% lean : 56% fat : 4% blueberries
Macronutrient Ratios:
80.7% fat, 19.3% protein, 0% carbs
Macronutrient Ratios:
82.7% fat, 16.1% protein, 1.2% carbs
*Note that the Nutrition Facts labels use rounded numbers. The macronutrients were calculated by what was actually used, not based on the rounded numbers of the label.
The end of my week with John & Geri didn’t feel like an ending at all. It felt like the beginning. The beginning of an inspiring friendship, collaboration, and source of joy in my life. Finding my tribe along the road and in my travels has been the most joyous and fulfilling aspect. I continue to be blessed and overwhelmed with generosity and authentic connections. This was no different with John & Geri.
Community is such an under-appreciated part of health and I’m grateful to have good people like John & Geri in mine, and I in theirs. I greatly look forward to when our travels bring us together again. And who knows, maybe I’ll even find myself tapping Michigan maple trees in the near future 😉
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Disclaimer: The information in this post is not intended as medical advice, or to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional. Marcelle encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research, and in partnership with your doctor, licensed dietitian, or nutritionist. The information provided in this post and the entire contents of www.marcellephene.com are based upon the opinions of Marcelle Phene and are for general educational purposes, and have not been reviewed nor approved by the FDA. You are solely responsible for your health care and activity choices.
I love, love, LOVE your post. Great intro 😉 The feelings are mutual as I think I have made abundantly clear. I hope we will see you again at Pale f(x) in April ’19, and if not, during maple season even early, Feb-Mar ’19. All the best, and again, super job on the post, John
Thank you so much, John! I absolutely loved collaborating with you on this project and look forward to many more collaborations in the future! I definitely look forward to seeing you and Geri again soon, one place or another! Travel and route plans still unfolding for the spring 😉